Threadbare
by Lucifermakesgood
Summary: Set after episode 12. A vampire Josef sired has come to LA. But why is he really here? Revenge or something closer to the 400 year old vampires heart? Can Mick and Beth help? And what does a human singer, Danny Warn, have to do with any of this?
1. Chapter 1

Josh is dead, Mick is newly human. So it's set loosely after episode 12 or so and then veers wildly off cannon.

Apartments on Wilcox Dr. In Hollywood-- Evening

Danny Warn pulled her beat up Jeep Cherokee into the shadowy parking sub-basement and cranked the break. She got out and cracked her knuckles as she tried to wiggle the knots out of her shoulders. Work sucked, not having enough money sucked, not getting any call backs about her singing demos sucked. Danny was really starting to hate LA; and she'd only been here three months. She also hated being in this creepy parking garage at night. She leaned into the car to pick up her precious groceries;she'd gotten paid today and could now afford to eat. There was a soft bang, like the side door up to the street opening and closing. The sound echoed off the walls and Danny peeked around her car. There was no one near the door, another quick glance around and she couldn't even see another person in the whole garage. She quickly grabbed her groceries and headed for the bank of elevators.

Of course the elevators were out of order Danny thought grinding her teeth together. Nothing like climbing five stories worth of stairs after a long and tiring day. She turned and headed for the stairway on the far wall. There was another soft bump somewhere to her shadowy left. She froze, looking for what had made the sound. She heard the noise when she saw the shadow moved. Danny jumped out of her skin and dropped one of her bags. She was halfway to the door when a large grey cat climbed over the bumper of the closest car. Her heart still in her throat she made her way back to the bag she'd lost. By the sound that they had made when they'd hit the concrete she knew her eggs were toast. The cat came over to inspect the gooy egg yokes that were seeping out of the bag, licking at the mess slightly. Danny shooed the cat away with her foot and picking up the leaking bag made it to the stairway and started the trek up to her tiny studio.

She didn't feel the eyes watching her now. Admiring her pale skin. Her dark hair and blue eyes. She couldn't feel the thing, who only looked like a man, letting his eyes roam over her body. He had been hard pressed not to move when he smelled her fear that was only now starting to drain away. Fear was such a beautiful potent perfume and it clung to this girl. She was the one. She had to be. She looked just like Margot. His beautiful, lovely Margot. He didn't know how she could be here, now, but he was sure it was her. The creatures white/blue eyes flashed, and for a moment a mouthful of fangs could be seen. She was the girl. The next moment he was gone. To find his next present for his father. But, he had plenty to choose from, his father had insured that.

Somewhere in West Hollywood

Being a vampire for over fifty years had made Mick forget what blood and gore smelled like to a human nose. His stomach twinged a little, and not in that blood-makes-me-hungry sort of way. But he brushed the fleeting feelings to one side. Considering what his first human life had been he had hardened his stomach to the destruction a human body could suffer many, many years prior.

It was just different being on the heart pumping, non-fangy side of things again. A different that Mick was reveling in to hearts content. Or had been until today. Beth had called him with some very interesting details on a murder case that the police were playing close to the vest. Very close. Sweeping his eyes around the small apartment he found it a sorry sight indeed. Dried blood was splashed in sticky spots on the, what he figured was once, an off white sofa. The furniture was Ikea grab bag but not un-cozy. The moonlight caught another blood spatter that had sprayed lightly against the carpet, like a child had taken a paint brush to it.

The bodies of the two young women who had been killed here were at the morgue but it wasn't the bodies that Mick was really interested in. It was the rumor he'd heard about what the police were keeping quite about this case. The girls were amazingly lacking blood in there bodies, even though there throats had been slashed there should have been more blood at the scene. Or that's what Guillermo had said. But as Mick stepped over a bloody stuffed elephant on the living room floor he found what he hoped he wouldn't. On the far wall scrawled- in what had been determined was a little of both of the girls blood- were messy but readable words:

_I've found you Daddy, Josef, Charles, Jerome, Lair, Murderer. _

_ The guilty must be punished. You can't replace the irreplaceable. _

_ I'm coming Father. Preparing the way. Your faithful son, Gideon _

Mick's mouth twisted into a grimace. As he read the angry sentences he heard a step in the front of the hall and quickly hid himself. It didn't occur to him to miss his vamp hearing and speed. The door opened a crack and he let out a breath when a familiar blond popped into view. His blond. Well, hopefully. Things were still a little up in the air about that. "What are you doing here?" Mick whispered at her.

Beth was unable to reply for a moment, her gaze transfixed by the bloody writing, "Like I'd let you go in to a murder scene without me? Come on Mick you've only been human for like a week, you need me now. More than ever. Not to mention, who told you about this in the first place?" Mick sighed, "You did. And you want the story for Buzz Wire." He reached a hand into his jacket, "But I still think it's too dangerous." He added turning back to the wall and taking out a small camera he snapped a few hurried pictures.

"And breaking an entering is still a felony last time I checked." Beth looked at the handwriting a little longer and then said, "Do those names mean what I think they mean?"

"I really hope not." but Mick had a sinking feeling that there was only one person in the world that this note was for. A person he just happened to know. "One of my contacts in homicide said this isn't the only case. Three other murders with similar MO's all in the last week or so. All the victims were young women and there has always been some message written on the wall in the victims blood." Beth had been moving farther into the room as she spoke but stopped when she saw the couch. "They said he displayed them. This guy's an animal."

Mick finished taking pictures and, after putting the camera away said, "I was thinking more like a vampire." Mick didn't need vampire senses to know this whole thing stunk of vampire. He glanced at the wall once more before turning away from it and said, "We need to talk to Josef."

"We?" Beth's face and eyes perked up at Mick's use of the plural.

"Well, if I told you no you'd follow me anyway." He shot Beth a grin, "This saves time." Beth gave a shrug. "You're right." As they exited the apartment building she paused for a moment before saying, "Just remember you're human now."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Beth gave another non-comital shrug, "I mean Josef's still a vampire and you're well...not." "I trust Josef. I've trusted him for nearly fifty years. Me getting the ability to tan and eat pizza back isn't going to change anything between us."

"But what do you really know about him? I mean, he didn't tell you about Sarah. What else has he been keeping from you?"

"Josef doesn't like talking about his past. I respect that. Four hundred years is a long time to acquire bad memories." He got into his car and opening the passenger side door asked, "So you coming?"

"Are we going now?" Beth asked as she hurried into the car.

"One thing I have learned in the last week. No time like the present." The purr of the engine drowned anything they might have said after that moment. The black mercedes pulled out of the lot Mick had parked her in and slid into the flashy lights and vague dark that made up an LA evening.

Josef's Home

"And to what do I owe this extremely inconvenient and invasive honor?" Josef said leaning back in the leather office chair he hadn't bothered getting out of when Mick and Beth had arrived. He raised a brow and asked, "Shouldn't you be out rediscovering your humanity or..." his eyes traveled to Beth suggestively, "Maybe spending your evenings...in?"

Mick chose to ignore the jabs, while Beth couldn't help but blush a little. "Josef, we need to talk."

The old vampire steepled his fingers together, "Well it can't be about Beth because she's here. And it can't be about how you hate your vampire nature because...hey! That's no longer on the menu either. So what's so important that you needed to interrupt me near lunch time?"

"Who's Gideon?" The name had barely left Mick's lips when Josef went completely still, no breath, no blinking, as if he'd been frozen solid by the sound of the name. Mick repeated the question. Josef's eyes flashed ice blue but his control was impeccable. But it still looked like someone had exchanged Josef's spine with a rod of iron. Josef stood up slowly, fluidly, with the grace that being a vampire had given him. He smoothed down the blue vest he was wearing and did his best to ignore Beth and Mick. He poured himself a glass of blood from a cold decanter. He held the glass but didn't drink. He just starred at the blood.

Beth, after looking at Mick quickly, continued pushing the question, "Who's Gideon Josef?" Josef turned his head slightly toward the pair and cocked his head to one side slightly, "What I want to know, Miss Turner, is how you heard that name in connection with mine?"

Mick tossed the photos of the crime scene that he'd taken onto the glass desk. Josef glanced at the photos and the hand that had been holding the glass shattered the tumbler. He calmly brushed off the remaining bits and threw the glass out like nothing had happened. But Beth and Mick knew now how angry Josef must be. "You know Mick I don't think photography is really your bag. Maybe try pottery or flower arrangement."

"This isn't the only scene." Beth said, "They think there are more. But they've been scattered in different cities and suburbs so they weren't immediately connected." She thought quickly, "I would think you'd know about something like this."

"So would I." said Josef, his flippant demeanor draining away. "How something like this could happen in my city is rather...vexing. I may have to terminate a few employee's for this oversight." Mick and Beth both didn't like how Josef said the word 'terminate'. It sent a shiver up Beth's spine and Mick asked a little impatiently, "So are you going to answer the question?"

Josef gave his one time friend a tired look. "I figured your dogged persistence for cases like this would die away while you enjoyed the cure Mick. Seems I put too much stock in your survival instincts. They haven't risen with your body temp. Thought it was just a vampire thing."

"Your name, no three names, Josef, Charles and Jerome. I'm guessing they are all you. Were painted in these girls blood on the wall. If you're in trouble Josef... You should know by now that I'll do everything I can to help."

"That's really sweet Mick, very hero of you, but go home. Enjoy being human. This isn't your world anymore. At least not for a while anyway." Josef didn't want his friend involved in this. He wanted Mick to enjoy his temporary cure maybe even finally seal the deal with Beth.

"You think I can do that now?"

Josef let out a deep sigh, "I don't know how you made it to eighty eight, or five, or however old you are now. You seem to have a filter on the 'listen to Josef, it's a good idea' part of your brain." "So who's Gideon and why is he leaving you bodies?"

"He'd see them as gifts. Or maybe warnings."

"Then why is he leaving you presents?"

Josef knew that it was a losing battle so he gave in, "Gideon was one of the very short list of vampires I sired. My son, as he sees it. Back in the mid twenties. He was a good kid, smart, sharp dresser. Helped me run my speakeasy businesses."

"Then what went wrong?" Beth cut in, "What he did to those girls is monstrous."

"Beauty's in the eye of the beholder. But as far as Gideon is concerned. Well," Josef thought for a moment, "you could say we had a, falling out of sorts."

"How?" Mick asked. Josef had never talked about his past if he could avoid it. Even when Mick had been a vampire Josef wasn't big on the sharing...not old stories anyway.

"I had...what did we call them back then? A bit o'fluff named Margot. She was a freshie of mine in the thirties when I lived in Boston. I was going by Jerome Bennette back then. Gideon had fallen in love with the girl and convinced her that she had fallen in love with him back." Josef paused and settled himself down into one of the leather couches before continuing, "Well, to be honest, I was rather fond of her myself. Not your normal snack. That girl had panache. But she had an outside life so I wouldn't consent to letting Gideon turn her. So they got together and asked me to turn her. They hounded me for months. I mean he could give you lessons, Mick, on the term tenacious. They were so set on it. I just couldn't fight both of them. So I did. I turned Margot." Josef paused again his voice a strange empty thing as it continued slowly, "She went crazy after the change. Some vampires do you know. Their psyche just can't handle the stress of it. So I did what I had to do to protect us and our secrets." Josef's voice dyed on a dry note.

Beth whispered, "You killed her?"

Josef's eyes found Beth's, "Did I offend your delicate sensibilities Miss Turner? I had no choice. She would have made those photos Mick just showed me look like a day at Disneyland. A blood-crazed vampire isn't very picky. She never would have been able to forgive herself anyway; even if there was a way to keep a raging vampire imprisoned indefinitely."

"How did Gideon take it?" Mick asked, pushing the story forward. He didn't want to think about the girl. Or about his friend executing her.

Josef gave them a ghost of a smile, "Not too well. He told me I was cursed, that I'd never be able to turn a woman I cared for. Said that I'd murdered Margot in cold blood...said that he could've turned her. Then he said he'd make me pay. That he'd find her again. Yada...cursed by the gods...yada...very dramatic yada...and all those other things angry people say in the heat of the moment. I tried to reason with him but it broke something inside of him. I thought Gideon died in a fire in Chicago decades ago."

"Apparently they don't make fires like they used to." Beth said blandly.

"He's looking for revenge then?" Mick asked Josef.

Josef shook his head, "I don't think that's the only reason why he's here. Not with the way he's setting this up. If I know him, he thinks he's found her."

"Margot?" Beth couldn't hide her shock.

"Or just some poor girl that has a small resemblance to her. We went through a similar episode in Chicago. Not so much with the pre-show as here though." Josef said shaking his head. "But you said you thought to died in a fire in Chicago?" Beth said confused.

Josef gave her look, "A fire that I just might have started. Though, that was never proven." Beth shrank back toward Mick a fraction of an inch, "That's why I like the tar pits. Not too much clean up. Gideon's deranged. There's no telling how far he'll take this."

Mick took a deep breath, "So we find him. Kill him." "

Oh good plan Mick, charge!" Josef said dryly. "Tell me how that works out for you and your soft, squishy human body."

Beth gasped putting a hand to her mouth, "My god!"

"What?" Both of the men asked. "

He wouldn't hurt the girl he thought was Margot would he?" she asked quickly.

"Probably not at first. Not until she robbed him of his illusion." Josef said. "Which will eventually happen. And then it will get ugly."

"But then there is a girl out there who looks like Margot being stalked by some crazy, killer vampire."

As she finished her sentence Mick and Josef turned and looked at each other. In that moment, they were perfectly in tune, mortality or immortality be damned. Mick said, "If you happen to have a picture of this Margot I can get Logan to download it and start looking for our look-a-like. Maybe a girl that's recently moved into the area. Maybe Gideon followed her here?"

"On the not so off chance that the boy is here merely for a revenge kick I'll see what I can get some of my people to turn up about a new vamp in town." "And what do I do?" Beth asked a little annoyed. Men.

Mick glanced up at Beth realizing he'd forgotten she was there for a moment. "You go back to Buzz Wire. See what else you can find out about these murders. What they have in common. If there's any type of pattern."

"I'm on it." Beth said cheerily, nearly running out of the office.

Now alone Mick asked Josef one more question, "How fond was 'a little fond of her'?"

Josef gave him a wry, weak smile and said, "Until Sarah I was sure that I'd broken my own heart by burning Margots."

"Is that one of the reasons you've kept Sarah alive so long?"

Josef's eyes flashed, "Boy, I swear if I thought you could survive it in your new freshly-easily broken- body I'd punch you."

"That's what I thought. So you have a picture of this girl?" Josef went to a compartment in his wall and typed in a code. Part of the wall came off and Josef opened the secret lock box inside. There were a lot of things in the box, things that he couldn't bring himself to get rid of. After a minute of shuffling things around Josef handed Mick a worn, sepia photo of a pretty girl in her early twenties with dark hair and pale skin. Mick nodded his head solemnly, "She's pretty."

"Yes, yes she was."

"I'll let you know if something turns up."

Mick was about to leave when Josef's voice stopped him, "Mick, do you think people we care about come back?"

Mick looked at his friend and saw an expression he'd never seen before. But all he could offer was, "I don't know."

Josef came out of his thoughts and grinned again at Mick saying, "Get out of here, I've got some dinner to play with. A little asian dish that I bet you'd love." But once the door clicked behind Mick the smile faded from Josef's face. He wasn't sure what bothered him more, knowing Gideon was out there somewhere, or that there was a girl out there that looked enough like Margot to bring Gideon out of his nearly three-fourths of a century of hiding. No longer in the mood to feed. He picked up his phone. "Yeah, I need you to find something out for me. It's very important."


	2. Chapter 2

The Liquor Emporium in North Hollywood-- The Next Evening

Danny listened to the XM radio music float lazily through the store and felt like her brain was turning to mush. It didn't help any that she'd had a terrible night. Bad dreams. A couple rounded the aisle she'd been hiding in, hand in hand, laughing as they went. She glanced at them as they moved past her without so much as a nod. She didn't begrudge the couple their happiness but as far as she was concerned LA was a lonely city and Hollywood was merely it's heartless, skin-deep center. The thought made her wonder when she'd gotten so cynical.

"Miss Warn?" She turned her head and found herself staring up into a pair of dark sunglasses. She took a second to look the man over. He was good looking. Tall, brown curly hair, and a good physic.

"Yes?" she was a little embarrassed at the hope in her voice.

"My name's Mick St. John. I'm a private investigator."

Danny's face went blank, she was now totally confused. She got to her feet quickly, "What can I help you with?"

The man glanced around the store quickly, like he was really worried someone might overhear them, "You're in danger."

"What?" She said incredulously. "You've got to be kidding. I don't even know anyone in LA." "All the same Miss Warn. I think you're life is in danger." He did that glance around thing again and it was really starting to creep Danny out.

"You need to leave. This is a little too Twilight Zone for me thanks." She said shortly, moving away from the tall man and toward the open center of the store. People, people, where were the couple million people that supposedly lived in LA when you needed them? She risked a glance backwards and saw that the man was following her. She rounded on him and spoke in an angry whisper, "Please, look, I don't know who you are. But you need to stop. This isn't funny. It's sick."

"Please Miss Warn. I know it's hard to accept but you need to listen to me." There was a terrible sound that took Mick a moment to register as breaking glass. He dived down just in time grabbing Danny by the waist on their journey to the floor.

"Mr. St John?" Danny yelled. She shook his shoulders trying to wake up the unconscious man. His weight pinned her to the tile floor. She couldn't really see anything, just hear. People were screaming. More glass was breaking. Lights were flickering. There were also heavy sounds that Danny couldn't really identify. Warm drops fell across her face right before a woman's body fell down next to her; blood oozing out of a large gash on her throat. The warm, wet spots she could feel speckled around her face had to be blood. Danny swallowed the scream that was trying to force its way out of her. Maybe if she just pretend to be dead whatever was happening would pass her over.

Danny closed her eyes and willed herself not to breath, to twitch, for her heart to stop beating. She could hear slow footsteps coming closer to where she lay. It took her a long time to realize the person was whistling. It was a song that she didn't really recognize, but it seemed old. The footsteps stopped next to her head.

"Margot? Margot, stop pretending. I can hear your heart beating darling. I can hear you breathing." The next thing she knew she was being dragged out from underneath St. John. She hopped he was still alive. "Open your eyes Margot."

Danny didn't want to open her eyes. A childlike idea that if she couldn't see the monster it wasn't real. But another part of her was more afraid of what he'd do to her if she didn't open her eyes. So she opened her eyes and immediately regretted it.

The eyes of the thing she was looking at were a blue so light they were almost blind, like dead fish eyes. If dead fish eyes could hold evil in their depths. After the eyes the next thing she noticed were the fangs. Honest to God fangs. She could only see the fangs because of the insane smile on his face. "I found you Margot. I can't believe I finally found you." Then he kissed her. Pushing cold lips against hers. He trailed kisses over her face, across her throat. Danny wanted fight, to scream but he was holding her, hugging her to him in a painfully tight embrace and she couldn't move. But despite being stiff with fear, she could at least now see over his shoulder.

Mick was waking up. The pain in his head was intense and he had his first moment when he really wished he was still a vampire. Rising to his knees Mick saw the girl in the embrace of a strange man. No, a vampire. He pulled his gun and said dazedly, "Let her go."

Danny felt Gideon's head twist before she registered the movement. "You have no idea what you're getting involved with, human."

"As a matter of fact," Mick said getting to his feet, "I do, Gideon." The gun was mostly an empty threat right now, the way Gideon was holding the girl Mick wouldn't be able to shoot the vampire without hitting her.

At the use of his name the vampire hissed and dropped Danny. "I thought you smelled like father." Danny cried out as she hit the tile. Mick shot when Danny dropped but Gideon barely noticed the bullet as he came at Mick, teeth bared and eyes blazing. "Another present for Jerome to find."

Mick had a moment when he realized that he was probably going to die. Dying at the hands of a vampire. It was kind of ironic really. Gideon's punch blacked Mick's eyes out for a moment; then he was being lifted up and their was a sharp pang in his neck. The piece of shit had actually bitten him. Danny watched as the blond man lifted Mick up and bit him on the neck. She had been wrong. Mick had tried to warn her, tried to tell her that she was in trouble. He had come to help her and she hadn't believed him. She couldn't just let him die. Picking up a wine bottle she smashed it on the crazy man's head. The bottle exploded, she felt a bit hit her cheek before a hand smacked against her face. Stars sparkled inside her eyes as she went reeling backwards.

She must have blacked out because the next thing she knew the crazy one that she thought had been called Gideon was standing over her. "I'm sorry Margot. You shouldn't have done that. You shouldn't make me so angry." He cradled her head in his hands and continued to apologize as he bit his own wrist. "I'll make it better. This will make it better." He shoved his bleeding wrist onto Danny's mouth. When Danny didn't open her mouth Gideon placed his other hand over her nose until she had to open her mouth or suffocate. The blood trickled over her tongue and down her throat. It burned as it spread into her body. Burned like fire. And then everything went black.

When Beth had first called Josef he couldn't understand what she was saying, she was so frantic. "Beth! Breathe then speak. I hear breathing really helps with the whole living thing."

"I'm sorry but I'm worried about Mick."

"Honestly I'm going to have to put low-jacks on you two. Or maybe little cat bells."

Beth ran over Josef's words, "He found her. The girl."

"And I'm hearing about this only now from you because?"

"I can't get a hold of Mick. He's not answering his phone. He went to see the girl at her work. He wanted to get there before dark. But it's sundown now and I..." Josef stopped listening as Beth went into another bout of hysterics.

"Alright. Alright. If you have the address I'll pick you up. And don't you even think about taking off before I get there."

Ten minutes later they were speeding toward the address on Beth's phone. Beth's back was pushed into the fine leather seating of Josef's Ferrari as far as she could go, "You know, you might not be able to die in a car accident but I still can. And I really don't want to die today."

"Relax." Josef said as he shifted to a lower gear, the engine growled, "I've been in a drivers seat since the term 'horse-power' actually involved horses."

Josef could smell Gideon before they entered the store. Gideon and a lot of blood. The moment he entered he saw them. Gideon, looking a lot worse for wear, his bleeding wrist in the mouth of a girl with black hair. "Boy." Josef growled out. Gideon looked up, moving his arms and upper body away from the girl. "Eternity hasn't been kind to you."

"Father." Gideon answered given a small nod in acknowledgment. "I didn't want to see you this early. I wasn't ready." "You should remember I'm a real pain like that."

"Oh my god! Mick!" Josef saw Beth run to a limp body.

There were very few things in this world that Josef gave a shit about and one of those things was lying, bleeding on the floor. Josef saw red. He felt his teeth slide out and roared. He turned back to face Gideon, to rip that ungrateful child apart, one small piece at a time. But Gideon was gone. The girl, however was there, curled up in the fetal position shaking uncontrollably. But he could hear that her heartbeat was strong and steady. She could wait. First things first. Beth's arms were around Mick, she'd succeeded in dragging his upper body into her lap.

"Is he..." Beth couldn't finish the question, her tears were falling too fast.

Josef leaned down, taking a deep inhalation. "No. But only just." The light fluttering of Mick's heart in Josef's ears was a bad thing. "He's dying." He moved Mick's head to one side, seeing the bite marks on his neck.

Beth saw them, "Then it's not too late. You can turn him. You can make him a vampire again. He can't die Josef! Not like this. Please."

He looked into Beth's eyes for a moment, then looked away, "He's going to hate me for this." "Thank you." Beth whispered.

Josef knelt down next to Mick's body and touched him gently on the forehead. "Forgive me Mick." Rolling up his shirt arm he bit down, clenching his fist to make the blood flow faster. As it began to drop on Mick's lips they waited. It took a long moment but Josef saw Mick's mouth move slightly. "Good boy. That's it." He brought his arm down onto Mick's mouth and allowed himself a smile when Mick's arms came up to grip Josef's. "Rise and shine."

Mick's eyes opened. Not his normal eyes, but the ice blue of a vampires. There was a moment when Josef and Mick locked eyes. When he saw Beth she leaned down and kissed him. After a moment he raised his head and looked around. "The girl?"

"Convulsing in a rather unattractive manner last I saw." Josef said.

"Gideon didn't take her?" Mick tried to get up.

Beth was still holding onto Mick, "Uh-uh Mr. Hero. Just take it easy for a moment." Beth looked at Josef, "Can't you check on her?"

"Not really in my job description sweet heart." Josef gave a small grimace in response to the look Beth was giving him and held his hands up in a 'don't shoot' pose, "Alright, alright. Women." Josef walked over to the girl, who was still shivering and sweating on the ground. She stunk like blood and vampire. Which wasn't wholly unattractive to his own vampire sense of smell. Josef turned her over and sucked in a breath that he actually didn't need to take. She wasn't a dead ringer for Margot, but she was damn close. He brushed her short black hair away from her face and the girl groaned.

Beth was helping Mick up, even though the newly reborn vampire didn't need the help. Mick knew that it was more about her needing to be close to him. And at this time he felt the exact same. "She going to be alright?"

Josef leaned over her and took another smell, "He fed her his blood. Must have banged her up pretty bad for him to do something that drastic."

Beth, still clinging to Mick asked, "But doesn't vampire blood give a sense of euphoria? Like the drug I took?"

Josef shook his head, "That stuff was a pretty, cleaned up version of the real thing. She's mainlining." "

Will she become a vampire then?" Beth asked quickly.

Josef shook his head, "She's hurt. But she wasn't near death. The vampire blood is going to help heal the damage but her human body is rejecting it almost as quickly."

"So what does that really mean?" Mick asked impatiently.

"It means..." Josef began but was cut short when Danny rolled over again and vomited blood all over his pant leg and shoe. She let out a low moan and rolled back into a ball. "Don't say a word." Josef glared at Beth and Mick, daring them to laugh.

Neither laughed, but Mick couldn't help himself, "Gotta admire the effect you have on women." Josef stood up, his shoe squishing a bit. The sound of sirens brought all three of them out of the moment. "Well as much fun as this has been kids I think it's time we made ourselves scarce. I don't feel like explaining why I'm covered in blood at a murder scene."

"We have to take the girl." Mick said. "A hospital won't be a safe place for her."

"Not to mention she's got vampire blood in her system." Josef added. He rolled his eyes. He looked at how Beth and Mick were holding onto each other and couldn't help but let out another exasperated sigh, "Well this suit is ruined anyway. I guess I'll carry her. But she's not going in my car. Unless it's in the trunk."

By the time the police arrived the four of them were gone.

Josef's Home

Danny knew she was probably dreaming. Everything was hazy and unreal around her, all lights and sounds and smells, nothing was real. She was in a shower, the flowing water almost scalding hot on her skin. The shower felt good but her head hurt. She wanted to move her hands but when she saw a pair of hands move she realized that their was something wrong with them, they weren't her hands. She wanted to say something but all she did was moan. The hands, attached to bare arms, began messaging shampoo into her hair. There was a voice at her ear, telling her not to worry. She had no reason to but she trusted the voice.

Danny woke up in a strange bedroom. If the, what felt like, five billion count Egyptian cotton sheets hadn't given it away then the fact that she was in a bed that felt bigger than her studio would have. Her head was pounding and she felt sick to her stomach. She was amazingly happy to find out that she could move. But was equally unhappy to find out that moving, even the slightest inch, made her want to throw up. Her wet hair stuck to her face in thick clumps but she did brush them away, she was too busy listening. There were two voices in the room with her, she kept her eyes closed.

"I don't know how this became a popular fashion." said a male voice that seemed slightly familiar, but she couldn't place.

The next voice was Mick St. Johns, "I think you look quite dapper in leisure wear." "Whatever, tell anyone I wore a jogging set from K-mart and I'll stake you." Danny shifted a bit and tried to open her eyes sneakily. It didn't work.

"Well, well, well. Look who decided to wake up." the slightly familiar voice said but it sure didn't sound exactly friendly. She turned her head and had to close her eyes to keep the room from spinning. The man spoke again, "Please, I would prefer if you didn't destroy my bed. You're reign of terror has already claimed a rather expensive suit and the side of my car is being washed as we speak." Danny mustered up enough strength to give this jack ass a rather pitiful glare before whispering hoarsely, "Please tell me I don't have to thank you for saving my life."

Mick spoke, "How are you feeling Miss Warn?"

"Danny."

Mick barely caught the word, "What?"

Danny coughed, "My name's Danny. It's not short for anything. Just Danny. Can I get like a bucket or something?" A trash can appeared before her just as she threw up again. Looking down she could see the dark red liquid sliding sickly around the bottom of the can. "Am I vomiting blood?" she hadn't realized she'd asked the question out loud until she got an answer.

"Yes." said the annoying man, "But don't worry. It's not your blood."

Danny wondered if what the man had said was meant to be comforting. Then Danny remembered. The man with the eyes and teeth. The one calling her Margot. He'd made her drink his blood. Danny vomited again at the memory. Josef's lip curled, "I didn't think that women in LA ever had that much in their stomach."

Mick moved to the bed and offered Danny a tissue. She wiped her mouth and muttered a thanks. She looked up at Mick, he seemed totally fine. There wasn't a scratch on him. "How long have I been out?"

"About three hours. It hasn't been that long."

"Then how?" Danny gestured to Micks face and body. He'd been bleeding and beaten last she'd remembered. And it hadn't been light stuff either.

Before Mick could answer her question a door opened and a pretty blond woman walked inside. "I've got some news on our murders."

"You're Beth Turner." Danny blurted out. When the three turned to look at her with some surprise she added defensively, "Some of the managers at work use the computers to watch you on Buzz Wire."

Beth gave Danny a warm smile but didn't continue with what she had been saying when she entered the room. She turned her attention to Danny instead, "You look a lot better."

"You just missed it. I think we saw her throw up a boot." Josef said dryly from his love seat in the corner.

Danny ignored him this time but Beth shot him a scathing look, "I feel a lot better. Thanks for asking. But I have to say I'm really confused."

Beth patted Danny's shoulder lightly and looked at Mick and Josef, "So I'm taking a wild guess that you haven't told her anything yet?"

Mick shifted a little on the bed, "She only just woke up."

"Bent on destroying my very expensive duvet." muttered Josef.

When Danny turned to look at him again she realized that while he might be facing the group near the bed he wasn't looking at her. He wasn't even looking toward where they were. His eyes were closed and his head was back against the chair. He was wearing a gray t-shirt and matching sweatpants. It did look all wrong on him.

"I don't mean to sound ungrateful. But your friend is sort of an asshole." Danny said to Mick. Mick gave her a smile, "Yeah, he is a rather pompous ass. But he grows on you."

"Like a flesh eating bacteria I'm sure." Danny commented.

Josef put his head up for the first time, but still not looking at Danny said to Mick, "I like this girl. She's got spunk." Danny noticed that his hair was a little damp as seemed his skin. Danny wondered why those details should feel important to her.

"And back to the crisis at hand?" Beth said trying to bring the conversation back around. "What did you find out Beth?" Mick asked. "All of the murdered girls. There have been seven in all. Well, they only have one thing in common."

"And that would be?" Josef asked.

"You, Mr. Josef Kostan." Mick was surprised but Josef didn't seem to be so Beth continued, "It took a hell of a lot of digging but all of the dead girls have worked on retainer for you before."

"I figured that might be the case." Josef said rubbing his hands over his eyes.

"You don't seem surprised." Mick said watching his friend.

"I had a contact of mine tell me the names of all the victims and send me photos. All the girls were..." he paused and looked at Danny for the first time. They're eyes met for a brief moment before he continued, "they were all freshies of mine at one time or another. Girls I've used on a normal basis." The word didn't mean anything to Danny. She was more interested in finally seeing the face of this Josef, the asshole. Why was it that all the attractive men were jerks? Danny couldn't figure it out. But there had been something in his brown eyes that checked her. Something there in the corner of his eyes. She had no words for it. Then he'd turned his face away again. Danny also noticed that his hair was a little damp as seemed his skin. Somewhere in the back of her brain it seemed important to her but she wasn't sure why.

Josef hadn't wanted to look at her. She looked so much like Margot. He wondered if this strange feeling in his chest was maybe just a touch of embarrassment. Not at ensuring that the broken glass, blood and vomit had been washed off of her, but that he'd held an unconscious woman naked in his arms. He might be a jaded letch but he still preferred his women willing and at the very least awake. Although he had been the soul of discretion; he'd kept his boxers on. She hadn't seemed to recognized him however, even though he'd been sure she'd woken up a little as he'd cleaned her up. This girl reminded him of a time he hadn't wanted to go back to. When his luck had started to go bad. First Margot and Gideon, then Sarah. Just when things were looking their brightest for him they always seemed to get ripped apart. Josef had stopped letting anything close enough to affect him like that after that time. Or at least he tried to. But even now Mick had somehow wormed his way into Josef's heart and loyalty. And he'd nearly lost Mick today he thought wryly. He'd had to re-turn his best friend after only a week of hard won mortality to save him from something that wouldn't have happened without him around in the first place. Josef's face took on the tiny grin of the perpetually jaded that had become his mask.

"What's a freshie?"

Danny had asked Josef but it was Mick that answered her, "What I'm about to tell you is a complete secret. Do you understand?" Danny nodded slowly, still looking at Josef. Mick continued, "Vampires exist. They are apart of every city, just about every society in the world. Freshie's are what we call willing blood donors."

"We?" Danny had locked onto that one all important word.

Mick nodded slowly, "Josef and I are vampires."

Danny frowned, looking from one to the other, "What?"

It was Beth's turn, "It's true. I found out about Mick and Josef and vampires only a couple of months ago. But I swear to you it's true."

"Yeah okay. I didn't just fall of the yam wagon. This is fucking looney tunes."

Josef's eyes gleamed ice blue and in the blink of an eye was across the room and standing on the far side of the bed.

"Holy Shit!" Danny yelled nearly rolling off the bed to get away from him. Her head spun and it was Mick's steady hands that kept her from falling backwards. She twisted out of Mick's arms and went scrambling for the corner. "This can't be happening. This can't be happening."

"It's alright Danny." Mick said trying to approach her.

"Don't touch me!" Danny said twisting herself, looking like she would push herself through the wall.

Beth glared at Josef and Mick. "If you two are done terrifying the poor girl. You can step outside."

Mick wanted to protest but one look at Beth and Mick gave Josef a nod of the head. The two vampires exited the room. Leaving Beth with Danny.

When Beth heard the door click she moved around the bed and crouched down next to Danny. She didn't touch Danny, she just stayed near the girl waiting for her to be the first to speak.

"This is crazy." Danny finally said.

"Tell me about it." Beth agreed.

Danny looked at Beth, trying to find any hint of a lie in those eyes. But all she got were Beth's warm blue eyes, eyes that seemed to have nothing to hide. "They really are vampires aren't they?" "Yup."

"How can you be so okay with this? I mean 'freashies'? Sounds like some creepy sort of harem thing. He didn't even seem all that torn up about them being dead." It had been the cold blandness in Josef's voice, like they'd all been chatting about the weather, that was bothering her now. The eyes and fangs Danny could get over, but the seemingly callous indifference toward human life? Not so much. "Mick and Josef are the good guys." Beth said trying to reassure Danny. Well, she thought, she knew Mick was definitely one of the good guys anyway. "Josef isn't really that bad. He's just had a rough couple of weeks. And then you throwing up on him and down the outside of his Ferrari." Beth smiled, "He's just a little put out I'm sure."

"I threw up in a Ferrari?" Danny's mouth twitched up at the corners a little.

"Yeah."

"I've never even been in a Ferrari before."

"Well there's a first time for everything." Beth said extending a had to Danny.

Danny took the hand gratefully, "You mean like being force fed blood by a crazy murdering vampire?"

"Something like that." Beth said chuckling. "Here," Beth finished helping Danny back up onto the obscenely large bed. "Can I call the boys back in?"

Danny nodded and Beth headed for the door.

Meanwhile, In the hallway.

As soon as Mick had closed the door he turned on Josef, "Nice job."

Josef waved a hand dismissively, "We don't have time to mollycoddle the girl."

"But did you really have to terrify her?"

Josef crossed his arms over his chest defensively. He would not dignify that question with an answer. Damn Mick for making him feel even slightly guilty. "So Mick, what's the plan now? We tell her we're vampires, that there are vampires everywhere. And one of the crazy ones that just happens to be killing people is stalking her. Then we just let her waltz off back into the mainstream? I can see it now, 'Vampire Kidnappings!' grab your pitchforks and run for the Hollywood Hills!"

"Of course not. She needs to be kept safe." he looked up at Josef, "And so do you. If he's killing girls that fed you then someone must be giving him information. How else would he know where to find them?"

"You have heard of Google right?" Josef said unhelpfully, he hated when Mick was right. Mick was lost in thought and didn't hear Josef's comment, "You need to get rid of all your freshies."

"I thought you didn't condone killing innocents?"

"You know that's not what I meant. Send them away on vacation. Send most of your staff away too. Gideon might go after them if he can't find your girls."

"Then what the hell am I supposed to eat? You're bagged crap? Being tortured and killed by Gideon would be a welcome relief after a week of that freezer shit."

"I'm sure that can be arranged." Mick growled out around his teeth. "I seem to remember having a similar conversation with you only a couple of weeks ago."

"Fine, fine. My payroll department is going to love my ass. Sending thirty people on indefinite paid vacations." Gideon was really starting to piss him off. Not that Josef hadn't been angry before but this was fucking up his well ordered life. He needed to find a way to make Gideon show himself and soon. Then an idea occurred to him. "And the girl can stay here."

Mick gave a startled look, "You want her here?"

Josef gave a nonchalant wave of his hand, "Here is the only place. I've got the security."

"And what's the real reason you want her here?" Mick asked suspiciously.

Josef smiled at his friend, "Do I always have to have ulterior motives? Can't I do something out of the kindness of my heart?"

"You can. But you prefer when it also helps you out as well."

"You're not wrong. And may I remind you that that is why I'm four hundred years old." He looked at Mick, "If the girl is here with me it will drive Gideon crazy. Or more crazy. He'll come for the girl sooner or later."

"You want to use her as bait?"

"No, I want to keep her safe while ensuring that Gideon will only come after me. If he thinks I have her he'll focus on me. And he'll make a mistake."

"And if he doesn't."

"I'll come back as a pile of ash and apologize."

"Apologies won't do me any good if I'm a pile of ash next to you."

"Well then, do you have a better suggestion?" Mick glared at Josef. Josef smiled smuggly, "I didn't think so."

Just as he finished Beth opened the door, "You can come back in now."

She shot a look at Josef. Josef put a hand over his heart and bowing slightly said, "I'll behave better this time." The sound Beth made showed how much faith she had in that promise. The three walked back into the room and shut the door.

Danny sat quiet for a long time looking at each one enter in turn and eying Josef as he paced around the bed. She liked it better when he'd been sitting, not looking at her. His constant movement reminded her too much of a shark circling it's prey. She began slowly, "So the man who attacked me was a vampire?"

"Yes." Mick said.

"And the whole thing about me remembering him shoving his bleeding wrist into my mouth and me now vomiting blood?"

"He gave you a love tap that was a little too hard." Josef answered, "He gave you some of his blood to keep you from being too permanently damaged. It works in a pinch but not a good idea as a general rule."

"So I've been vomiting vampire blood."

"With reckless abandon." Josef jibed.

Danny made a strange sound in the back of her throat. But kept everything down, "But why did he attack me? And why was he calling me Margot? Who's Margot?"

"Margot is a dead woman. Long dead." Josef spoke but continued his rapid pacing, "Which you happen to have an uncanny resemblance to."

"So this guy."

"Gideon."

"So this Gideon guy had the hots for this dead chick Margot and now thinks that I'm her and is going crazy and killing these freshman-"

"Freshies."

"These ex-freshies of yours."

"In a nutshell. You are actually quite on the ball when your not heaving up your lunch all over my things."

"And your much more personable when you don't talk. What, you campaigning for president of the sarcasm club or something?"

Mick and Beth watched the exchange silently. Beth moved slightly and took Mick's hand. She squeezed it lightly and he returned the light squeeze. They had almost lost each other today. Just like Gideon lost Margot and Josef lost Sarah. They didn't need to talk about it. They just felt it and they knew that they couldn't live without the other. Mick finally cut in, "We brought you here to Josef's house to hide you for a while and protect you from Gideon."

"I can't go home?"

"We're pretty sure he knows where you live by now." Beth added. "Josef and I agreed

that you should stay here. Until it's safe."

Danny shuddered slightly. "This is a nightmare. A total nightmare." For a moment Beth, Mick and Josef all thought Danny was referring to being stalked by a crazed vampire until Danny looked up at Mick and grabbed his free hand, "Can't I stay with you?"

Josef made a noise that sounded more like an indignant child than a 400 year old vampire. Mick patted Danny's hands and shook her head, "It's safer here. Josef has the best security that money can buy. And a whole lot of age on me." Mick didn't add anything about her being a type of bait. He didn't think Danny would take kindly to being the human equivalent to a worm on a hook.

Beth gave Danny a gentle hug, "Mick and I will only be a phone call away. Our numbers are on the night stand." Mick had been sure that Beth would protest them leaving Danny here alone with Josef and was relieved when she just accepted the idea.

"You're leaving?" Danny said, not able to keep all the panic out of her voice.

"We'll be back." Mick said putting a hand under her chin so they could lock eyes, "I promise. You'll be safe here."

When the three of them left the room once more Josef grinned at Mick, "So you trust me with the well being of an innocent, young woman?"

"Do I have a choice?"

"Not in the least. But don't worry about us." He glanced at Beth, "We'll have all sorts of fun. Braid each others hair, bake brownies, play Parcheesi. Whatever kids do these days for fun."

"You know, she was working at a liquor store so she's at least twenty one. She's not sixteen." "Thank God. I prefer my girls young but legal. Saves on the lawyers bills." Josef preferred humor to anger and it served him well here yet again.

"Remember," Mick said ignoring Josef's comments, Josef might be a letch, but he'd never force himself on a girl, "send away all your freshies and as much of the staff as you can. At least until we find the mole. Or Gideon is no longer a problem."

"I already texted my people. I got a fridge stocked with blood. I'll be fine. But if I find the mole I won't need the stocked blood."

"Be careful Josef. We'll see you tomorrow then. Be good." Mick said taking Beth with him down the hall. Josef noticed that they were holding hands as they went.

"At least someone's getting what they want today." he muttered to himself as he turned around and knocked on Danny's door.

"Go away!" Danny said through the door.

"You're sort of in my bedroom babe. The place were my extra clothes live."

"Oh, come in." Danny finally said.

When Josef opened the door he knew he shouldn't have found the scene as arousing as he did. There was Danny, huddled in the middle of his very large bed, arms holding her legs to her chest, eyes wide. She was wearing an oversized t-shirt that he had changed her into. The t-shirt declared that she loved New York, he wasn't even sure who's it had once been. But her work clothes had been covered in glass and blood. Her bare feet wiggled a bit on the comforter. The room smelled of her clean skin, his soap and the spicy scent fear but he also caught a slight hint of anticipation. With the jaded group of women he so often kept around him real, true emotions were hard to come by. He'd almost forgotten how potent they could be. "You know kid, I'm not going to hurt you."

She let go of her legs and tucked them under her. When Josef began to walk toward her she fought the impulse to run, to hide, that crazy flight or fight instinct that the human brain still kicks in when faced with a real predator. She let out a sigh when he passed her and headed toward a door on the far wall that opened up into a walk in closet the size of a small apartment. Danny could see blood stained clothing on the floor. "Did I," she slipped slowly off the bed and moved tentatively toward the closet, "Did I really vomit on you?"

Josef looked down at the bloody clothes, "Twice actually. You didn't take to being carried very well."

"I'm really sorry."

"Don't worry about it. I know the designer. He'll send me more." "I'll pay for it." she offered weakly.

Josef actually smiled a little, "That's really sweet kid but I'm sure that suit costs more than you make in a month. How much they pay you an hour at that liquor store?"

"Eleven fifty."

Josef chuckled. He caught a glimpse of Danny in the full length mirror. She was pressed to one side of the door frame, her cropped black hair falling into her very blue eyes, which were watching him intently. She looked so young in that moment, so pretty. Not at all like Margot, Margot had had a presence about her. Margot had known she was a beauty. Danny, standing there like she was had more in common with Sarah at that moment. Sarah had never understood how beautiful she was. And that had only made her more beautiful to him. In an attempt to push those painful thoughts away an idea popped into Josef's head, a wicked idea, but what other ideas did he usually get? He lifted off the t-shirt Mick had loaned him exposing his naked back.

"What are you doing?" Danny asked.

"Now, what does it look like I'm doing?" Josef said raising an eyebrow to her.

Danny blushed hotly and turned to move away from the closet, "So," Josef said stopping her retreat with his voice, "What did you come out to the city of Angels for? No, wait, let me guess...you wanted to be an actress? Get famous, name up in lights. Hanging out with all those cute actors. Getting an eating disorder."

"I'm a singer." Danny said.

Josef waited for her to take a glimpse back at him before he stepped out of the sweatpants that had gone with the t-shirt. Both pieces of clothing could be burned with the ruined suit for all he cared. They weren't his style in the least. Josef smirked to himself when he smelled her blushing again but also this time came a small additive; arousal. "A singer. That was my next guess. I've known quite a few singers in my time. Like Old Blue Eyes himself."

Danny turned around stunned, "You knew Frank Sinatra?" Josef had turned around as well giving Danny a full view of his body, although he was still wearing boxers and socks. Danny blushed even more furiously and hurriedly turned around again.

Josef chortled to himself as he grabbed a pair of black dress pants and a green dress shirt. "Everyone knew Frank back in the day. That man knew how to have a party." Josef put on the pants and stepped out of the closet, buttoning the shirt as he went. He moved around Danny as close as he could without actually touching her. "And you can save those blushes."

Danny's brows furrowed, "You went from wearing a t-shirt and sweatpants to a suit." She tilted her head up to look at the taller man, "Is that your idea of changing into something more comfortable?" Josef leaned down and toward her, "It was either this or naked. I didn't think you'd be up for that, well not again at least."

"Again?" The word escaped Danny's mouth the same moment that she realized what his wet hair and damp skin and hers must have meant. "You were the one in the shower."

"There, I thought you came out of it a little. Don't worry, I was a complete gentleman. But I do have to say, you're not bad to look at."

"Do you always come on this strong?" Danny asked, trying not to give ground. He wasn't attractive, she lied to herself. Okay he was slightly attractive. But that didn't make him any less of a jerk. An undead jerk. A very sexy undead jerk. That happened to have partied with Frank Sinatra and seen her naked. She was trying to remember what the voice had been whispering in her ear. The hazy memory tightened things inside her.

Josef's body and face were leaned so far toward Danny that she almost took a step back but she still held her ground. They were so close that she could only focus on one of his brown eyes at a time. "No," he said in a heady whisper, "Sometimes I'm aggressive."

Danny felt a shiver run down her spine that had nothing to do with fear but said, "You're one of those very charming, misogynistic types aren't you?"

Josef shrugged, "I predate the term misogynistic." He could smell and hear when her pulse jumped. She still had a small cut on her cheek where some glass had cut her; A little red line beneath her right eye. It wasn't until that moment that he realized he really hadn't had anything to drink in the last twelve hours. And now all he had to look forward to would be a cold glass of AB+. Or maybe not. Her short hair left her neck bare to his view. Danny's pulse fluttered against her neck, making that ivory skin dance. He swayed forward a little and Danny took a step back. His predator instinct followed her retreat until he had backed her into the corner. Still not touching but he was only starring at her neck now.

When Danny's back had hit the wall she froze. The alien expression on Josef's face made her nerves scream with panic. She didn't know what she could say to snap him out of it, so she said the only thing she could think of, "Please." She whispered the one word before her throat went totally dry. The small pleading sound was intoxicating, how many other woman had said that word to him in this situation he wondered. He glanced up at her face expecting to see the hunger for what he could give her in her eyes. Like he'd grown accustomed to seeing. It was a shock to realize the true fright in her face. She had said 'please' to make him stop. She wasn't one of his girls, his freshies, she had no idea. She was a total innocent. He clenched his teeth and pushed it down, away from the surface and inhaling deeply just once more closed his eyes and stepped away from Danny. "I'm sorry. I'll have someone bring you up something to eat."

Josef was halfway across the room before Danny managed to ask,"Where are you going?" Josef kept his eyes closed, he didn't really need them to find the door anyway, "I'm getting something to eat myself."

It was more out of a need to not be alone than any real desire to break bread with the guy that Danny said, "Can't you eat with me?"

"I almost did." His voice left the words hanging in the air as he shut the door after him. It took Danny a second but when she realized what he meant her eyes went wide and she ran across the room and locked the door. She didn't unlock it until a maid came with a tray of food and a message that Mr. Kostan had work to do and wouldn't be able to join her for a while. Danny nodded to the maid and after the maid put the tray on the bed and left Danny locked the door again. Even though she didn't know if a flimsy lock would be much of a deterrent to a vampire. She sank down on the bed and once she began eating discovered how hungry she really was. After she'd finished she stretched out on the huge bed and fell into a sleep of pure exhaustion.


	3. Chapter 3

A little shorter chapter this time. reviews more than welcome. Thanks for all you who have reviewed already.

Later that evening

Danny woke up tasting the blood of Gideon in her mouth. She was sweating and shivering all at the same time. She lay back in the dark room but didn't try to sleep again. Her dreams were too much for her. Gideon was always there, biting her, making her drink his blood, killing her...and other things that made the cold sweat come faster. The shadows that the heavy curtained bedroom threw on the walls where messing with her imagination. She finally leaned over and flicked on the bedside lamp. The light was harsh on her eyes but the warm yellow glow made her feel better, safer. But she still felt alone in a bed that she could only think to call obscenely large.

There was no clock in the room that could tell her what time it was. Danny thought that it had to be late, past midnight but she didn't know for sure. Hadn't Josef said he would check on her? An icy tendril of fear slid down her spine. Maybe something had happened to him. No, if Gideon had gotten into the house she would have known. He would make sure she knew he was there. But now the thoughts were there she couldn't shut them off.

Throwing off the covers she got off the bed and went to the door. It was still locked. Letting out a breath she unlocked the door and opened it a crack. Nothing jumped into the room at her so she peaked her head around the corner. The floors were hardwood polished to a high shine. She could catch glimpses of herself in the floor. But the hallway was still completely silent. She needed another person, a voice, anything to rid her of the terrible feeling that she was the only person left in the world. Her bare feet made no noise on the floor as she left the room and made her way down one side of the hall. Everything seemed to be done in glass and wood in this house. It was beautiful but rather impersonal, not quite cold, but detached. And from the little Danny had gathered about the houses owner the style of the house made a certain kind of sense. She peaked into rooms when the doors were open but found no one. There were fantastic views of what she figured was the LA cityscape from the windows that covered the house. She decided to turn around and go down the hallway in the other direction. When she was only a few doors down she began to hear light music. She followed the music until she saw a light shining out from underneath a door. The music was slow and sultry, a newer r&b hit that Danny had heard many times while she was working.

Danny lifted her hand to knock but found that the door was slightly ajar. She pushed it open just enough to see into the room. There was a fire in a large fireplace against the far wall. Danny never really understood why people in LA had fireplaces, when did it drop below sixty? Danny had been staring at the fire and not realized that there was anyone in the room until one of them moved. The girl was gorgeous. Amazing figure in an even more amazing silver dress that looked like it had been pored on. The girl had long red hair that fell in waves down her back. The girl kept her movement across the room, her long legs shined in the firelight, so did her dress. When the girl moved out of Danny's line of sight she saw that she wasn't alone. Josef was sitting in a gray leather armchair. Danny watched the girls perfectly manicured hand drift across Josef's chest and over one shoulder, to move through his hair. Danny felt wrong. She shouldn't be watching this, it was invasive, she wasn't a peeping tom but she couldn't stop watching. The silver dress was standing behind Josef now, she leaned over one of his shoulders. Danny watched the girls red hair tumble down to one side, covering half of Josef's reclining body. He reached a hand up and tangled it in all that red hair, his eyes slipped into the ice blue eyes she'd seen before.

Danny's breath caught when Josef closed his eyes and he bit the girl's neck. Danny's eyes widened as she watched. She had only ever seen Gideon bite Mick. That had been evil, violent, terrifying. This, this was terrifying in a whole new way. Danny watched the girls face, the surrender there. She hadn't realized she'd made a noise until Josef's eyes opened and locked on hers. For a moment there was a line of heat from Danny's, wide dark blue eyes to Josef's brown ones. The girl made a noise and the spell was broken. Josef let the girl go and Danny turned from the door and ran back down the empty hall.

Josef knew he'd been caught. He shouldn't have had the girl there. But after trying to drink a cold glass of AB- while thinking of Danny he needed something warm. Something he could use. Probably not fair to that poor girl he'd just given cab fare to, she was a professional, she wouldn't put herself in danger and now that the staff was gone there was no one to say who was coming and going. He gritted his teeth when he realized he was trying to justify having the freashie there. He didn't need justification, this was his city damn it! He shouldn't have to hide in his own home.

He had checked on Danny earlier and found her asleep. When he felt that she'd locked the door he couldn't help but smile a little ruefully but couldn't blame the girl. He'd unlocked the door and looked to make sure she was alright. Her breathing sounded labored and he'd figured she was having bad dreams but there was nothing he could do about those.

He'd rambled around his empty house for over two hours. Being a vampire, solitude was sort of part of the deal. But Josef had surrounded himself with underlings, non-entities that he could hear and smell and just as easily ignore. A crush of strangers around him at his beck and call. He hadn't realized how much he'd been relying on those faceless people until they were gone. But he hadn't meant for Danny to walk in on him.

Which was why he was now standing in front of the door to the bedroom Danny was hold up in. He knocked lightly, "Kid?"

"Go away." She didn't sound scared or hysterical. Far from it, she sounded totally calm. It was a little disconcerting. He heard her bare feet moving toward the door. She threw it open and said, "You're still here."

"Looks like it." Josef looked down at Danny. She wasn't afraid of him in the least. He'd thought she'd been afraid when she ran away from him. Danny's eyes were blazing, just not with fear.

"Why are you still here?" She asked angrily.

"Why are you mad at me?" Josef said trying not to smile.

Danny squared her shoulders, "You seriously asking me that?"

Josef squared his own shoulders, "Why shouldn't I?"

They starred at each other for a long time before she finally burst out, "Will you lose a bit of sleep if that girl ends up cut up and her blood used to write you love notes on her wall?" Danny took a deep breath, "Or will you just shrug it off like you've done with every other one so far?"

It was Josef's turn to be angry. This girl didn't know anything about him and he didn't know anything about her. She was just bait, means to an end. And he almost told her so but Josef reminded himself that he didn't really let himself get angry. He settled for indifference instead, "Everything has it's risks."

"You don't feel anything when you use those girls do you?"

He put a hand on each side of the door frame and leaned in toward Danny, "Actually I feel a lot of things usually. The freashies I get are very accommodating."

Danny's lip curled up in disgust, "I bet."

Josef took a hand off the door and put two fingers under Danny's chin, "Now don't be coy kiddo. It wasn't fear that sent you running down this hallway." He paused for dramatic effect, "Tell the truth, you got a bit of a charge watching me, didn't you?"

Danny watched the vampire out of the corner of her eye for a moment. She knew he was right but hell be damned if she was going to tell him so. She finally stood up on her tiptoes and brought her face very close to Josef's. She could smell an undoubtedly female perfume still clinging to his clothes. When she was only a few inches away she looked into Josef's eyes, "No. It wasn't, it was disgust." She waited for Josef to lean his head a little closer to hers, "By the way that scent does nothing for you. Maybe a light musk next time?" With that she turned and slammed the door in his face nearly taking his finger off. Through the door she added, "And my name's Danny, not kiddo."

Josef couldn't help but smile as he said under his breath, "Liar, liar." He probably would have been more upset if he hadn't smelled the desire coming from her even as she slammed the door on him.

It had only been about an hour or so, but Danny still couldn't fall back asleep. She couldn't stop thinking about Josef. She was mad at him, of course but that didn't make it any easier to get him out of his head. He was an arrogant, misogynistic, pain in the ass, who's house she happened to be trapped in. Even if Mick and Beth had said it was for her own good she wasn't sure how much longer she could take this. And it had only been a couple of hours. She lay in bed starring at the ceiling when she heard the noise. A light tapping sound coming from somewhere behind the thick curtains of the bedroom. Danny was about to go back to thinking about how much she hated Josef when the tapping noise happened again. Danny got up and moved over to one of the widows. She tugged on one side of the heavy curtain and it pulled away. Danny screamed.

Josef had been in his study. He'd been looking at some figures for what promised to be a very lucrative business proposition but had probably read the same paragraph ten times. It had been awhile since he'd let a girl get under his skin, even just a little bit. It bothered him more than he wanted to admit. It wasn't just that she looked like Margot. The resemblance was only skin deep, Danny couldn't be more different when compared to Margot. He heard Danny's screaming from his study. His mind went numb with fear. None of his alarms had gone off and they were set for human and vampire intruders. He hadn't survived four hundred years by being careless. He was down the hall in a blink of an eye and broke through the door in even less time. He barely registered the splintering sound of wood as he broke the door jam. What he saw stopped him dead.

The girl in the silver dress was outside. It seemed important that he remember her name, but he couldn't. He hadn't bothered to learn it. The girl was hanging sickly upside down, her dress riding up in an obscene and undignified way. One of her large earrings was hitting against the window making a light tapping sound. The girls throat was a red ruin, the cut was so deep that when the moonlight caught the right angle her spinal cord glistened white and pink in the night. There were words scrawled across the glass.

_ I see you._

Josef grabbed the closet thing to him -which happened to be a night table- and threw it against the wall, putting a huge gouge in the wall. He looked around for something else to throw but there was nothing really in reach.

"Josef?" Danny hadn't meant to whimper, she hadn't meant to cry. It just happened. She knew she was stronger than this. She just hadn't seen too many gruesome murders until yesterday. It was all too much. Somewhere in the last twelve hours her life had gone horribly wrong. It had taken an unexpected turn for the worst. Josef turned ice blue eyes to Danny, who shrank away slightly from his obvious anger.

He growled when he saw her shrink away. She hadn't been afraid of him earlier, he didn't want her afraid of him now. He stalked over to Danny and took her into his arms. It wasn't a soft embrace but it was oddly comforting. Danny's wet face was buried in his shoulder and she could now only smell him, the girly perfume was gone. Just like the life of the girl outside it belonged to was gone. She could barely make out the words that Josef was saying, "I'm sorry Danny. I was wrong. I'm sorry." She clutched her hands into Josef's dress shirt and let herself cry. She dropped everything inside of her. She sobbed and she let Josef hold her as the light tapping outside continued.


End file.
